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Former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez believes he has the resume go down as the greatest lightweight in MMA history.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Eddie Alvarez explained why he feels he has done more than any other lightweight in the world.
"I think, in my eyes, I'll be the greatest lightweight that ever lived. It is fine to be great for five years. It is even fine to be great for ten years. But, for two decades, to continue to fight champions all over the world? I'm not staying in one place, I'm not staying in one promotion," said Alvarez.
"As many belts as I collect, as many champions as I have defeated, it will be argued, but I'll tell people, 'Check the scoreboard.' Accumulate the data and then check the scoreboard and then we'll see who is the greatest lightweight that ever lived," Alvarez added.
'The Underground King' currently competes under the ONE Championship banner. Before signing with the Asian promotion, Eddie Alvarez competed in Bellator MMA and the UFC and was champion in both organizations.
He won the inaugural Bellator lightweight title in 2009 by beating Toby Imada via submission at Bellator 12. He went on to win the title for a second time by beating Michael Chandler at Bellator 106 in 2013.
After winning the lightweight title for the second time, Eddie Alvarez moved to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Even though he lost his UFC debut against Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone, Eddie Alvarez got back in the win column with back-to-back wins over Gilbert Melendez and Anthony 'Showtime' Pettis.
This run set him up for a shot at the title against then-champion Rafael Dos Anjos. Alvarez capitalized on the opportunity by beating Dos Anjos via TKO within the first round of the fight and captured UFC gold.
After his time with the UFC, Eddie Alvarez signed with ONE Championship. He has competed in the promotion twice, with his promotional record standing at 1-1. Alvarez believes that he will soon have the ONE Championship lightweight title wrapped around him, completing the trinity of promotional titles and cementing himself as the lightweight G.O.A.T.
How did Eddie Alvarez fare in the UFC?
Eddie Alvarez reached the pinnacle of his career when he captured the UFC title. However, his title reign was short-lived as 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor beat him to become the lightweight champion at UFC 205 in 2016.
Eddie Alvarez then faced 'El Diamante' Dustin Poirier at UFC 211 in May, 2017. The fight ended in controversial fashion when Alvarez landed illegal knees to a downed Poirier. Referee Herb Dean noted Alvarez's lack of knowledge about the changed rules and declared the fight a no-contest.
Eddie Alvarez then beat Justin Gaethje in December 2017 and met Dustin Poirier in a rematch at UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs Poirier 2 in July 2018. Alvarez lost the bout via a second-round TKO. This was his last fight with the UFC.
